How to read the band →
Solid line = floor (spellings that unambiguously belong to the group). Shaded band up to the dashed edge = ceiling (the most it could reach if every ambiguous spelling counted here).
Ariel
Ariel is now well below its former popularity. All-time it's been given to 100,665 U.S. babies, the 464th most common name by sound today, peaking at 6,077 in 1991, with 1,384 in 2025.
Ariel has no common alternate spellings by sound.
Rising
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, “National data” baby-names files (1880–2025).